Sacramento A’s second baseman Joshua Kuroda Grauer makes a diving tag on the base to beat the Detroit Tigers Zack McKinstry for the force out in the bottom of the sixth inning at Comerica Park on Wed Jul 8, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Bridget Mulchahy:
#1 With home runs from the Detroit Tigers Jake Rogers and Spencer Torkelson the Tigers won their fourth straight game over the Sacramento A’s at Comerica Park on Wednesday night.
#2 The Detroit Tigers Troy Melton improved his record to 5-1 with a win over the A’s going 5.1 striking out nine hitters. It was the Tigers seventh win in their last eight games.
#3 A’s starter Jefferey Springs dropped his record to 3-9 and the A’s have no lost their fifth straight and nine out of their last ten games. . Springs gave up six runs in 4.1 innings pitched. Springs drops to 0-9 in his last 15 games starting.
#4 Each of the A’s and Tigers lost an All Star player in Wednesday’s contest. Nick Kurtz left due to an illness and the Tigers catcher Daron Dingler had to leave after getting hit on his throwing hand.
#5 A’s and Tigers wrap up this series Thursday night at Comerica at 3:40pm PDT starting pitcher for the A’s RHP Jack Perkins (2-4 ERA 6.75) for the Tigers RHP Framber Valdez (4-6 ERA 4.29). A’s trail the series 0-2 can they avoid getting swept?
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s reliever Mason Barrett (63) pitches in relief in the top of the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wed Jul 8, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento A’s had seven hits, two walks and several chances to change the game’s direction. Detroit Tigers needed only three scoring hits to do all its damage. Riley Greene supplied the first hit, Jake Rogers turned a surprise appearance into a two-run homer, and Spencer Torkelson added the biggest blow with a three-run shot as the Tigers handed the Athletics a 6-1 loss. The defeat stretched the A’s skid to five games and gave them nine losses in their last 10.
Jeffrey Springs had history on his side against Detroit, carrying a 2-1 record and a 0.53 ERA through three previous career starts against the Tigers. That history disappeared quickly. Dillon Dingler reached on an infield single in the first and moved to second on Zack Gelof’s throwing error. Kevin McGonigle and Torkelson drew walks, and Greene lined an RBI single to right for a 1-0 lead. The A’s limited the inning to one run when Gelof forced McGonigle at home before Springs struck out Ben Malgeri.
Rogers was not even in the original lineup. He pinch-hit for Dingler in the second and immediately changed the game. After Zach McKinstry drew a one-out walk and Matt Vierling fouled out, Rogers drove a ball over the wall in left-center for a two-run homer and a 3-0 Detroit advantage. He was not finished. Rogers singled in the fifth and later drew a walk, reaching base in all three of his plate appearances.
The A’s had their first real chance in the second when Lawrence Butler doubled and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer followed with an infield single. Troy Melton ended the threat by striking out Carlos Cortes. Sacramento finally scored in the fourth after Tyler Soderstrom doubled and Jacob Wilson reached on McKinstry’s throwing error, allowing Soderstrom to score. Kuroda-Grauer collected another infield hit later in the inning, but Melton again escaped with a strikeout of Cortes.
Melton made the A’s work for almost everything. The right-hander allowed four hits and one unearned run over 5 1/3 innings, striking out nine and issuing one walk. He struck out the side in the fifth, getting Henry Bolte, Gelof and Jeff McNeil in order, and left after walking Soderstrom with one out in the sixth.
Detroit then ended any thought of a comeback. Rogers singled with one out in the fifth, McGonigle followed with a single to right, and Torkelson sent a three-run homer to left for a 6-1 lead. Greene drew a walk, ending Springs’ outing after 4 1/3 innings. The left-hander allowed six runs on six hits, four walks and two home runs while striking out four. Springs had allowed at least one homer in nine straight outings before this start, and the Rogers and Torkelson blasts extended that streak to 10. His personal losing streak also reached nine consecutive decisions, with his last victory still dating to April 14.
The A’s kept creating small openings but never found the hit to cash them in. In the sixth, Soderstrom and Wilson drew walks before Butler moved both runners with a groundout, but Kuroda-Grauer grounded out to end the inning. In the seventh, Cortes singled and McNeil later sent a single to right that moved Bolte to third, only for Shea Langeliers to ground out. Detroit’s bullpen covered the final 3 2/3 innings without allowing a run.
Kuroda-Grauer remained the brightest part of the A’s offense, finishing with three singles in four at-bats. He had already produced 12 hits through his first seven major league games, tied for the fourth-most in Athletics history over that opening stretch and the most since Ben Grieve had 13 in 1997. Three more hits gave Kuroda-Grauer 15 through his first eight games. Soderstrom, reinstated from the injured list before the game, doubled, walked and scored the Athletics’ only run.
There was at least one encouraging piece for the A’s after the game had tilted away from them. Justin Sterner, Mason Barnett and José Suarez combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings, with Suarez striking out four over his two frames. It kept the margin from growing, but the offense never answered after Detroit’s fifth-inning homer.
The A’s get one last swing at the series Thursday, when Jack Perkins (2-4, 6.75 ERA, 70 strikeouts) faces Detroit left-hander Framber Valdez (4-6, 4.29 ERA, 78 strikeouts), with first pitch scheduled for 3:40 p.m. Pacific.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s Henry Bolte celebrates his home run in the dugout with teammates in the top of the third inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tue Jul 7, 2026 (AP News photo)
Bolte Goes Yard, but Tigers still Pounce!
By Mauricio Segura
Henry Bolte gave the Sacramento Athletics a jolt, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer kept finding holes, and J.T. Ginn kept his club within striking distance. But one rough inning turned a tight game into a 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers, extending the A’s losing streak to four games.
Detroit took control almost immediately. Kevin McGonigle drew a leadoff walk in the first, and Colt Keith followed with a two-run homer to right-center. Ginn settled down after that and did not allow another run over his four innings. He gave up only two hits, issued two walks and struck out four, giving the Athletics a chance against Tarik Skubal.
That chance was never going to be easy. Skubal struck out Zack Gelof, Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers in order in the first, setting the tone for an Athletics lineup that would strike out 12 times. Still, the A’s had chances. Jonah Heim singled to open the second, and Kuroda-Grauer doubled him to third. With runners at second and third, Skubal struck out Max Muncy to end the inning.
Bolte cut the deficit in half in the third, driving a solo homer to left. Gelof followed with a single, but Sacramento could not build on it. Skubal worked five innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out nine.
Kuroda-Grauer was the toughest out in the Athletics lineup. The rookie finished 3-for-4 with a double and two singles, continuing an impressive start to his major-league career. He had been selected from Triple-A on June 29 and had already produced three multi-hit games in his first six appearances before this one. Bolte, meanwhile, entered the game batting .291, second among qualified American League rookies, and added another reminder of why the A’s remain interested in what their young core can become.
The game stayed 2-1 until the sixth, when Detroit turned a two-out rally into the decisive stretch of the game. Zach McKinstry drew a walk, Spencer Torkelson singled, and pinch-hitter Ben Malgeri doubled home McKinstry. Matt Vierling followed with a two-run double, and McGonigle singled home Vierling. Five straight Tigers reached base, and all four runs in the inning scored with two outs against Jacob Lopez.
The Athletics answered in the seventh, but only once. Bolte was hit by a pitch, Kurtz reached on an error, and Langeliers singled home Bolte. Heim was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, giving Jacob Wilson a chance to cut further into the 6-2 deficit. Wilson challenged a called third strike, but the call was confirmed, ending the inning and the A’s best chance to make the Tigers uncomfortable.
Langeliers left his mark beyond the RBI single. The catcher successfully challenged two calls while the Athletics were on defense, turning both into strikeouts, one against Torkelson and another against Dillon Dingler. That fit a team trend entering the game, as the A’s had been one of baseball’s better clubs at using the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system.
Detroit’s bullpen shut down the rest of the comeback attempt. Jacob Waguespack retired all six batters he faced over the final two innings, and the Athletics finished with seven hits but only two runs. Gelof, Kurtz and Langeliers, the first three hitters in the order, combined to go 2-for-13 with eight strikeouts.
The loss was especially frustrating given how well the Athletics had handled Detroit in recent years. They entered the series 40-13 against the Tigers since 2017 and had won 22 of their previous 28 road games in the matchup. This time, one swing in the first and one two-out rally in the sixth were enough to turn that history aside.
The series continues with Jeffrey Springs (3-8, 5.79 ERA, 80 K) facing Detroit right-hander Troy Melton (4-1, 2.05 ERA, 32 K), a matchup that gives the A’s a chance to cool off a Tigers club that did all of its scoring in two innings; first pitch is set for 3:40 p.m. Pacific.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s Jonah Heim takes a hack against the Los Angeles Angels on Fri Jun 19, 2026 at Sutter Health Park. Heim hit a grand slam against the Miami Marlins on Sun Jul 5, 2026 at Sutter Health in the bottom of the eigthh inning against the Miami Marlins (AP file photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason:
#1 Once again the Sacramento A’s dropped another game 9-8 and got swept by the visiting Miami Marlins at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Sunday this was the A’s seventh loss in their last ten games in front of 8,086 fans.
#2 It was a game where the A’s who at one time had one of the hottest hitting line ups in the AL West have cooled off seeing hitters like Lawrence Butler, Nick Kurtz, Jeff McNiel, Henry Bolte, Zack Gelof, all have cooled off.
#3 The Marlins starter Eury Perez was pitching a perfect, no hit game but was lifted after seven innings for reliever Lake Bachar after Perez reached his pitch limit. Bachar got lit up for five runs including a Jonah Heim grand slam as the A’s cut the Marlins lead to three runs 8-5.
#4 The A’s best record this season at one point was 21-18 when the A’s were 3 games over .500 and in first place back on May 9. The A’s with the loss Sunday are now 41-49 now eight games below .500 after Sunday’s sweep.
#5 The A’s hit the road in Detroit Tuesday night to open a series with the Detroit Tigers. The A’s starter and the Tigers will be going with their ace LHP Tarik Skubul (4-4 ERA 3.15).
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in
Miami Marlins Otto Lopez (front) on second base after hitting an RBI double, the Sacramento A’s second baseman Jeff McNeil (22) can’t bare to watch in the top of the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Sat Jul 4, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The A’s looked to get back on track and even the three-game series with the Marlins on the Fourth of July. The A’s haven’t won a series since June 8-10 against the Brewers and are in desperate need of some momentum as they head toward the All-Star break. The A’s dropped Game 1 to the Marlins on Friday and looked for Aaron Civale to even the series against Sandy Alcantara.
On Saturday, Aaron Civale and the A’s weren’t able to keep the Marlins at bay as they dropped Game 2, 7-2.
Aaron Civale made his 15th start of the season for the A’s, and it didn’t go according to plan for the right-hander. Civale struggled throughout the game and only made it through four and two-thirds innings while surrendering four runs on six hits, walking four and striking out six. Civale did his best to keep the A’s in it, but his 84 pitches were enough to prompt Mark Kotsay to go to the bullpen.
“I think for Aaron, a couple home runs put the ball up in the zone a little bit,” Kotsay said after the game. “For us as an offense to get behind, it’s tough to generate offense right now to score runs. Overall, the starting pitching is what we need to improve. We need to get guys deep into games. Zeros early for some momentum.”
The A’s bullpen had to carry a heavy load again on Saturday after Civale departed with two outs in the fifth inning.
Mark Kotsay elected to go with Elvis Alvarado for the final out of the fifth, which he recorded via a strikeout after issuing a walk.
In the sixth inning, José Suarez came in to pitch and delivered a scoreless inning of work. Suarez walked one but otherwise didn’t allow another baserunner during his outing.
In the seventh inning, Kade Morris came on in relief. As it turned out, Kotsay stuck with Morris for the remainder of the game as he threw the final three innings for the A’s. Morris didn’t pitch particularly well, but he provided the needed length for the A’s with a depleted bullpen in a game they were unlikely to come back and win. Morris finished his night allowing three runs on seven hits while walking two over three innings and 68 pitches of relief.
On the offensive side, it was a rough night for the A’s, who managed just two runs on eight hits while drawing one walk.
The A’s first run came in the seventh inning when Jeff McNeil hit a sacrifice fly to score Henry Bolte from third. It was McNeil’s 26th RBI of the season as he looks to get hot after his three-RBI night on Friday.
In the ninth inning, the A’s mounted one last rally as Joshua Kuroda-Grauer reached on an error by the shortstop, allowing Carlos Cortes to score the A’s second run of the game.
With the loss, the A’s fell to 41-48 on the season and extended their stretch without winning a series.
Sunday, the A’s will hope to avoid a sweep as they take on the Marlins at 1:30 p.m. PDT. Gage Jump (3-2, 2.93 ERA) is slated to start for the A’s, while the Marlins will counter with Eury Pérez (4-6, 4.21 ERA).
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s Joshua Kuroda Grauer (44) slugs a fourth inning double against Miami Marlins catcher Joe Mack (90) at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Fri Jul 3, 2026 (Golden Bay Times photo)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After a day off on Thursday in Sacramento, the Athletics welcomed the Miami Marlins to Sutter Health Park for the start of a three-game series on Friday night.
The Marlins’ offense matched the 90-degree temperature early, and the A’s couldn’t overcome it as Miami defeated Sacramento, 12-5.
Jack Perkins took the hill for the A’s in hopes of helping the club start the series strong against the Marlins and carry over the momentum from the final game of the Dodgers series. However, Perkins struggled mightily, especially in the first inning, and lasted just three and two-thirds innings. Perkins gave up six runs in the opening frame, digging himself into a deep hole as he didn’t record an out until after allowing five runs. Overall, Perkins surrendered seven runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out eight.
“Tough first inning,” Kotsay said of Perkins after the game. “We know this team can hit, and when you leave balls middle-middle, you’re going to pay the price. So I think the grand slam obviously was the capper of that inning. Obviously, you get in trouble right away, it spirals a little bit out of control. I thought he did a nice job of settling down…”
Perkins spoke with the media after the game and appeared to be searching for answers.
“Just have to keep working… that’s something I’m always going to do,” Perkins said. “I’m trying to figure this out and I’m trying to get on a roll here, but I’m just not too sure what’s going on. I’ll get back to work tomorrow and hope to figure it out.”
The A’s once again needed a lengthy performance from their bullpen, and they turned to Jose Suarez to begin the relief effort. Suarez recorded the final out of the fourth inning after relieving Perkins and also pitched the fifth. Suarez was excellent, allowing only one walk over an inning and one-third while needing just 19 pitches.
In the sixth inning, Mark Kotsay called on Justin Sterner. Sterner was solid, but one mistake to Kyle Stowers cost him as he surrendered a solo home run, his only blemish in one inning of work.
Mark Leiter Jr. pitched the seventh inning for the A’s and was terrific. Leiter Jr. tossed a hitless frame, striking out two Marlins hitters while needing just 13 pitches.
The A’s ran into trouble again in the eighth inning when Mason Barnett entered the game. It was Kyle Stowers once again who did the damage after Barnett issued a walk before allowing a two-run homer, Stowers’ second home run of the game. Barnett returned for the ninth, and it was more of the same. He surrendered another two-run homer to stretch Miami’s lead to 12-5. Overall, Barnett pitched two innings, allowing four runs on three hits while walking two and striking out two.
Offensively, the A’s battled but ultimately couldn’t produce enough offense to overcome a 6-0 deficit before they even came to the plate.
In the bottom of the third inning, Nick Kurtz got the A’s on the board with a mammoth moonshot over the batter’s eye in center field. Kurtz’s home run left the bat at 113 mph and traveled 457 feet into the Sacramento evening. It was his 20th home run of the season and gave him RBIs Nos. 65 and 66.
The A’s added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth in an attempt to mount a comeback. Jeff McNeil connected for a bases-clearing, three-run double into the left-center gap. At the time, it pulled the A’s within two runs and made it seem as though a comeback was possible, but they failed to score again. Overall, the A’s finished with five runs on nine hits while drawing four walks and striking out eight times.
Mark Kotsay was encouraged by the fight his team showed after falling behind early.
“The offense did their job coming back and getting us back into that game,” Kotsay said. “It was a seven-to-five game at the time, I think. You’re a hit away from tying a game that you were down seven nothing. So there’s a lot of positive to the offense there.”
With the loss, the A’s fell to 41-47 on the season and 1-3 on the homestand.
Shea Langeliers left the game in the fourth inning after taking a ball awkwardly off his left thumb in the first. The A’s said X-rays revealed only a thumb contusion, and he is listed as day to day.
The A’s will face the Marlins in Game 2 of the series on Saturday, July 4, at 6:40 p.m. PDT. The A’s are slated to send Aaron Civale (5-5, 5.05 ERA) to the mound, while the Marlins will counter with Sandy Alcantara (9-4, 4.20 ERA).
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s starter Jack Perkins will face the Miami Marlins on Fri Jul 3, 2026 at Sutter Health Park in the opening of a three game series (AP file photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 Great game for A’s catcher Shea Langeliers 2-5 with a run scored in helping the offense pile on Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Charlie Barnes in the 7-1 win.
#2 Big night on Wednesday for Jonah Heim who went 2-3 with a home run, two hits, and two RBIs.
#3 Joshua Kuroda Grauer went 2-4 with a run scored and two hits and played the hot corner for the A’s Wednesday do you see JKG getting more looks at third base and hitting in the five hole?
#4 A’s pitcher JT Ginn had all his pitches working for him on Wednesday night six innings and allowed just one hit. He had Dodgers two way player Shohei Ohtani under control going 0-5.
#5 Starting pitchers for the Miami Marlins series starting Friday night for the Marlins RHP Tyler Phillips (1-3 ERA 3.02) for Sacramento RHP Jack Perkins (2-3 ERA 6.00) first pitch 6:40pm PDT.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s Jonah Heim rips a 444 foot home run in the bottom of the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Charlie Barnes at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Wed Jul 1, 2026 (photo by Mauricio Segura-Golden Bay Times)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The A’s sent J.T. Ginn to the hill on Wednesday night in a bid to avoid being swept at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game series. While not necessarily a smooth outing, Ginn delivered the win for the A’s in a 7-1 affair over the Dodgers.
Ginn took the ball in what was his 16th start for the green and gold this season while still being the only starting pitcher in the AL to throw a complete game this season. Ginn didn’t have his sharpest stuff, but he battled through six solid innings against the team that drafted him in the first round in 2018. Ginn scattered three hits and five walks while allowing just one run and striking out four Dodgers hitters. Ginn left the game after the sixth inning with the A’s holding a 6-1 advantage.
“You look at JT this year versus last year, that inning, or that game, would’ve easily spiraled from him,” Kotsay said of Ginn after the win. “He was able to get through those walks like we talk about, executing pitches and really navigating a lineup that can be challenging.”
As Kotsay turned to the bullpen in the seventh inning, he called on Luis Medina to pitch both the seventh and eighth innings. Medina was lights out for the first five outs of his two innings of work. However, Medina allowed a two-out double to Max Muncy before walking Kyler Tucker, which led Kotsay to go back to the bullpen.
Kotsay elected to go with Hogan Harris to clean up the eighth inning, and he recorded the final out by way of a strikeout. Harris stayed in to pitch the ninth inning and struck out three hitters while allowing just one single.
On the offensive side of the ball, the A’s had a nice, balanced attack against the Dodgers’ bullpen game after Los Angeles elected to bypass Shohei Ohtani’s scheduled day.
Jonah Heim got the A’s on the board in the second inning with a solo home run to center field. It was Heim’s eighth home run of the season and his 32nd RBI as he sent the ball 444 feet with an exit velocity of 105 mph.
In the fourth inning, the A’s scored two more runs on an RBI groundout from Lawrence Butler and an RBI single from Henry Bolte that scored Joshua Kuroda-Grauer to give the A’s a 3-1 advantage.
In the fifth inning, the A’s offense was back at it as Shea Langeliers led off with a solo blast to left-center field that traveled 433 feet. It was Langeliers’ 20th home run of the season and his fourth consecutive 20-home run season. The booming home run left the bat at 104 mph.
Later in the fifth inning, the A’s added two more runs on a Colby Thomas RBI double and a Jonah Heim RBI single that drove in Thomas in the very next at-bat.
The final run for the A’s came in the bottom of the eighth inning when Alika Williams sent a ball 403 feet over the left-center field wall for a solo home run. It was Williams’ second home run of the season, and it left the bat at 100 mph.
With the win, the A’s improved to 41-46 on the season and salvaged a game against the Dodgers to avoid the sweep. The A’s will spend Thursday’s off day in Sacramento before welcoming the Miami Marlins for a three-game weekend series. The first game of the series is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. PST on Friday as the A’s will send Jack Perkins (2-3, 6.00 ERA) to the hill. The Marlins have yet to announce a starter for the series opener.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s starter JT Ginn pitched six innings allowing just a run and had command over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento on Wed Jul 1, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Bridget Mulchay:
#1 How important was J.T. Ginn’s six-inning, one-run outing in helping the Athletics avoid a series sweep by the Dodgers?
#2 Did Jonah Heim’s home run and two RBIs provide the offensive spark that changed the momentum of the game?
#3 How much did Shea Langeliers’ power at the plate contribute to the Athletics’ 7-1 victory?
#4 Were Colby Thomas and Henry Bolte the difference-makers in the middle of the lineup with their timely RBI hits?
#5 Did Alika Williams’ eighth-inning home run and defensive play at shortstop help seal the win for Sacramento? The Athletics finished with 12 hits and three home runs in the victory.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Jeffrey Springs #59 of the Athletics pitches during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Mandatory photo credit: Don Collier/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
By Jeremiah Salmonson
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Athletics and Dodgers engaged in game two of their three-game series on Tuesday night at 6:40 p.m. PT at Sutter Health Park.
The A’s struggled again on Tuesday to contain the Dodgers and ultimately fell 9-3 in a relatively uncompetitive game.
Jeffrey Springs got the ball for the A’s on Tuesday in hopes of kickstarting the team back in the right direction after a rough last week. It was the league-leading 18th start of the year for Springs, who has been durable, albeit while having a lackluster season. On Tuesday, Springs struggled as the Dodgers pounced early and didn’t look back. Springs gave up six runs on eight hits over five and one-third innings while walking four and striking out two.
“It’s a tough lineup to get through,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of Springs after the game. “We talked about it last night. You make mistakes and this team just isn’t a team that misses mistakes, so you’ve got to be able to execute pitches, locate pitches, and utilize all your weapons when you’re out there.”
Jeffrey Springs was hard on himself after the loss, as he usually is. However, he said he feels good but needs to execute his pitches better.
“Still kind of processing it, too many walks, for starters,” Springs said after the game. “It’s too good of a team to give up free passes.”
Even with Springs’ struggles, he has been one of the most durable pitchers in baseball, leading the AL in starts with 18. I asked him after the game if that’s something he can take pride in even while going through some struggles.
“Right now it’s a little bit tough to see that just because you want to put together quality outings,” a visibly frustrated Springs said in the clubhouse. “You want to try to give us a chance to win and just don’t feel like I’m doing that. But yeah, you take a lot of pride in putting in the work in the offseason to take the ball every five days.”
For the bullpen, Elvis Alvarado was first out of the pen to finish the top of the sixth inning after Springs was lifted. Alvarado got the final two outs of the inning with ease without allowing anything to materialize for the Dodgers.
Looking for some length in what appeared to be a game out of reach, Mark Kotsay turned to Geoff Hartlieb for the final three innings for the A’s. Hartlieb pitched adequately over his three innings, allowing three runs on six hits while walking one and striking out one.
The A’s offense struggled again as Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski dominated over seven innings.
“He’s got weapons, the fastball velo, the slider is real,” Kotsay said after the game. “We saw him last year and he had an impressive outing where he came out in relief last year in LA and dominated us. We knew we were up against obviously a quality starter tonight.”
The A’s first run of the game came in the bottom of the first inning when Jonah Heim hit an RBI single to score Shea Langeliers.
The A’s next and final runs came in the bottom of the seventh inning when Colby Thomas hit a two-run homer to center field that scored Joey Meneses. The home run gave Thomas RBIs No. 9 and No. 10 on the season. It traveled 424 feet and left the bat at 105 mph, giving Thomas his second homer in as many days against the Dodgers.
Colby Thomas has been swinging a hot bat, and he feels as good as he looks at the plate right now.
“Results are great,” Thomas said after the game. “It’s nice getting the results and I’ve been doing a lot of work in the cage, and it’s nice to see those results, so it felt awesome, to be honest with you.”
The A’s offense compiled three runs on seven hits while drawing five walks in the 9-3 loss to the reigning champions.
The A’s fell to 40-46 with the loss and will look to avoid being swept on Wednesday in the final game of the three-game series at 6:40 p.m. PT. J.T. Ginn is scheduled to start for the A’s, while the Dodgers have yet to announce a starter. Shohei Ohtani was initially scheduled to pitch, but the Dodgers announced Tuesday that he will instead start on Friday.
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